Yugioh Zexal Alternation
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: Say Sirius didn't win that one duel against Heartland. What would have happened in the city of Heartland with a fourth Number Hunter under Heartland's command?
1. Chapter 1

Yugioh Zexal Alternation

Angst/Friendship

Yuma, Kaito, Ryoga, OC

Say Sirius didn't win that one duel against Heartland. What would have happened in the city of Heartland with a fourth Number Hunter under Heartland's command?

(I own not Zexal. But here's my version if you're interested in what would have happened if I did. :D )

* * *

Chapter 1

_The Light that illuminates the stagnate darkness in people's hearts._

_People call me the Number Hunter._

* * *

"So, Kotori," Yuma began. "Why did you have to come to the mall?"

Kotori held a small bag in her hand. "A friend asked me to come pick something up," she said. "I've already told you five times now."

Yuma sighed. It was very difficult to collect Numbers – or duel for that matter – when Kotori was dragging him around like that. She didn't even need him to carry things.

Maybe she just liked his company.

Regardless, he was stuck. He couldn't duel because there was nobody there, and he couldn't leave because Kotori was buying something for a friend of hers.

He bet it was makeup or something. Those girls always went crazy for that stuff.

As they left the store, Kotori's smile grew brighter. "It's just their color," she said.

"What do you mean? Who's it for?" Yuma asked.

"I told you, it's for a friend," Kotori said firmly. "You'll see who later tomorrow."

"Okay, okay."

Just then, an Obot fell to the ground, cracking the tiles with its weight. "Wh-What was that!?" Yuma exclaimed, looking up to the higher floors.

Though it was faint, he could just barely make out a head of shaggy dark blue hair. The demands were a lot easier to hear.

"Hey! Don't you worry about what happens to these hostages! If you do, get me my money! And a helicopter!"

"A stick-up!?" Yuma asked.

"Don't those use guns?" Kotori couldn't help but ask.

Not that Yuma cared. He still didn't answer.

A holographic screen suddenly flickered to life and that allowed all below a better image of the villain in the higher floors.

A man with shaggy hair, certainly, but it was both blue and light orange. His face had been twisted into a scowl, his fingers turning white as he tightened his grip on the bat.

As the reporter began to explain what was happening, not exactly to Yuma's surprise, his ringing D-Gazer pulled his eyes away from the television screen.

This time, it was a surprise.

His sister.

"_Yuma. You're at the shopping mall, aren't you?"_

She had him. Naturally, though, he decided to play the denial game.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "I'm still at school."

"But you're not," Kotori said.

"Zip it," Yuma whispered.

"_Yuma!_"

Yuma jumped. He hated it when his sister did that.

"_I know you're at the mall. And do you want to know how I know?_"

Yuma did want to know. Though he could bet his hide he wasn't going to like the answer.

"_I'm watching you on live TV!_"

He had to look up to see her point. "Oops," went he. "Busted."

"_Now go up there and get me a scoop!" _

Akari was in reporter mode.

Great.

With a sigh, he looked back up the the TV. By that time, it had changed from him and to the criminal once more. "So the guy just wants money?" he asked.

His Key glowed brightly and Astral then appeared. "Yuma," he said. "Look at the criminal."

He did. Closer this time.

The Number 56 flashed in a bright purple on the man's arm.

"He's got a Number card," Yuma observed.

With such knowledge, Yuma proceeded to the stairs.

He needed to get that Number away from him before it was too late.

However, before he could get all that high, he noticed a strange bird flying overhead.

Or was it a bird? Half the wing wasn't attached to the body.

Maybe it was a giant bug. Nah. Even Yuma wasn't that stupid.

A Duel Monster? He didn't have his D-Gazer on.

A human? Definitely, if the broken glass that followed his appearance meant anything.

But the freezing time thing?

Okay, Yuma's day just got weirder.

* * *

Kaito whistled his tune as he advanced towards the Number Holder Orbital had detected. The man showed surprise at his entrance, but who wouldn't? It was, after all, something of a bombshell. (Gauche said that when he first saw it in action.)

"Who the heck are you?" the Number Holder asked. "What's happening here?"

"The Light that illuminates the stagnate darkness in people's hearts," Kaito said. "They call me the Number Hunter."

The Number Holder backed away a single step. "N-Number Hunter?" he asked. "What the heck are you talking about?"

"You have a Number," Kaito said simply, ignoring the man's words altogether. "I've come to claim it."

"My Number?" Needless to say, the man was either confused or playing dumb.

Finding no point in listening to the duel, Orbital raised his head to get a better view of what was below.

The broken Orbot got his attention all too quickly. "H-How dare you!" he stammered. "T-T-Take him down, Master!"

Kaito turned to his robotic lackey.

Such a move more than made the robot submit. "I-I mean, Kaito-sama."

Kaito then looked back to the Number Holder.

By that time, the Number Holder had finally accepted his challenge. He had removed his card from his pocket for all to see, ready to take Kaito's own Numbers from him as well.

With a grin, Kaito began his own preparations. "Duel Mode," he said, "Photon Change!"

His coat changed from black to white, a blue marking appearing on his left eyelid. From Orbital 7's head shot forth a moon-shaped duel disk. A duel disk which proceeded to attach to Kaito's arm. "I'll hunt that Number," Kaito said, "and your soul!"

His duel disk sprung to life.

"DUEL!"

* * *

With hundreds of people completely frozen, Yuma found more difficult to maneuver up the stairs than he first thought.

Or, for that matter, hoped.

He was eventually trapped behind two overweight women. "Hey, excuse me," he said. "Move out of the way."

Astral, thanks to the fact that he could fly, was having much better luck than Yuma was. Over the women he went, his eyes locked on the floors overhead. "Yuma, we had better hurry," he said. "I am sensing a duel."

Yuma finally succeeded in squeezing in between the women. "Right."

A sudden shout sent a jolt through Yuma's body and he pulled himself through the rest of the way. "Ah! What was that?!"

"The duel!" Astral said.

Without wasting a second, Yuma darted up the stairs once again.

* * *

The Number Holder fell to the ground, his cards falling out of his deck and duel disk. Everything had happened so fast, he only managed to catch a glimpse of the beast that felled him before he was defeated. And by the time he raised his head from the ground to argue, his enemy had already returned to his normal form.

Kaito then threw his hand forward, his fingers enveloped in a light blue hue. "Photon Hand," he said.

A ghostly hand then flew from his palm, burying itself in the man's chest. The only sounds that followed were the cries of pain from the former Number Holder. His face then withered, his hair whitening as his soul was plucked from his body.

Once the bright orb was in his hand, Kaito couldn't help but stare.

Such was the price of the work he had chosen to do. Tightening his grip on the soul, the Number made its appearance from within the glowing orb. "Number retrieval complete," he reported.

"R-Right, K-K-Kaito-sama," Orbital said.

His wings then unfolded, allowing Kaito to flee from his work.

* * *

By the time Yuma got there, Kaito had already left. Unfortunately, that allowed him a chance to see the results.

The man who had to have been no older than thirty-something had become withered and old. "Wha-What happened?" Yuma asked, his breath completely fleeing from him. "What happened to him?"

Astral narrowed his eyes. The power of the Number had completely faded away. "Dear me!" he exclaimed, throwing his hand out to retrieve what might still remain.

No luck.

The Number was gone.

"Nu-Number," the Number Holder said, his voice cracking up. "Number...H-Hunter."

Yuma blinked. "Number Hunter?" he began. "What are you talking about?!"

His answer could not be given at that point, however, as time quickly restored itself and the few police officers that were at the scene were free to move again.

Unfortunately for Yuma, that meant a dog-pile he didn't want.

* * *

(At Heartland Tower)

The door to Heartland's windowless room opened wide. "Come in, Kaito," he said with a grin. "Were you able to retrieve the Number?"

Kaito didn't bother to look at Heartland. The thought of looking him in the eye sickened him. "I did," he answered.

Heartland turned the chair he was sitting in so he could look at his Number Hunter. "That's great news," he exclaimed. "So how many have you been able to find thus far?"

Kaito lowered his head just a little further. "Orbital."

"K-Kashikomari, Kaito-sama," Orbital said with a salute.

He then revealed the map of sorts that they had been using to mark their progress. Eleven holes had been filled, which he proceeded to report.

Needless to say, Heartland was pleased with the news.

But then he noticed Kaito's downcast eyes. "What's the matter, Kaito?"

Kaito didn't answer.

He didn't want to answer.

"Now, now. Don't tell me you're upset about all the souls you've been capturing?" Heartland asked, throwing his hands out as if in joy.

Kaito held his tongue.

"Now, remember, Kaito, those who hold Numbers have evil in their hearts. That's what allows the Numbers to take root. You have to believe that."

"And if we get all the Numbers," Kaito said, looking up to Heartland, "will my brother finally be okay again?"

"Of course he will be," Heartland answered. "Don't ever forget that."

Kaito turned away.

Heartland gave a slight smile. "Why don't you go see Haruto?" he suggested. "I'll let Dr. Faker know how dedicated you are to this mission."

Kaito didn't even bother to give an answer. Instead, he just turned around and walked out of the room, Orbital following right behind him.

No sooner than the door closed behind him, a laugh broke through the hallway. "'That's what allows the Numbers to take root'?" a voice asked. "If that's the case, then the Numbers would just love Heartland, wouldn't they?"

Both Kaito and Orbital turned around.

A young man, barely a few inches shorter than himself, was standing right behind him. As usual, he failed to remember where the comb was. His messy white hair would put Gauche to shame. "Wouldn't you agree, Tenjo?"

"I-It's you!" Orbital exclaimed, raising his head in fury.

"Yeah, hello to you too, stutterbot."

"S-S-Stutterbot!?"

"What's that supposed to mean, Sirius?" Kaito asked, ignoring Orbital's outburst.

"Never mind," Sirius said with a shrug. "Anyway, how did the hunting go?"

"If you heard what he said, you were obviously listening," Kaito said. "You don't need me to answer."

"Actually, I just showed up. Only heard that last part. Honest."

"Why did you show up then?"

"Hey. I'm like you, Tenjo. Just another one of his precious little lackeys to report in."

"I'm not Heartland's lackey!" Kaito snapped.

"Just keep telling yourself that, Tenjo," Sirius said, walking down the hall. "I've got work to do. I'll see you later."

"Th-Th-That's right!" Orbital shouted. "R-Run away, you d-d-d-dog!"

"I'm not a dog, stutterbot!" the boy called out from behind a corner.

Orbital quickly ducked in terror.

* * *

A little later, Kaito entered Haruto's room. The large amount of space up there still gave him a bit of a surprise, but he had grown used to it enough to be capable of hiding it without fear of it being noticed. As always, his little brother was right in front of the window, watching the games down below. "Hey, Haruto," he said, forcing a smile onto his face. "How you doing, buddy?"

Haruto didn't turn to look at his brother. His lifeless eyes were instead focused on a balloon floating past his window. "Why are they all laughing?" he asked.

Kaito didn't know how to answer that in a way his brother would understand.

"I don't need laughter," Haruto continued. "I need screams. Lots more screams."

The young Number Hunter got down on his knees. "Haruto..."

"Big brother...am I weird?"

Kaito placed his hands on his brother's shoulders, his face turned away to hide the pain that had formed. "You're dreaming, that's all," he said. "It's just a bad dream. And I'll wake you from that dream. No matter what."

He then gave his brother a hug. He knew that the Haruto before him probably wouldn't appreciate it the way he used to, but if anything, it make Kaito feel at least a little bit better about what he was doing. The monsters biting at his heart would stop for a few moments longer than when he was away from his little brother.

Meanwhile, from within the shadows the doorway, two grey eyes were watching this brotherly moment. Like Kaito, he too was being reminded of what he had to do.

Only for more people than just little Haruto.

* * *

Yuma looked outside. The words of the Number Holder before the police pinned Yuma down were ringing through his head again and again.

Number Hunter.

Number Hunter.

"What the heck did he mean?" he asked himself.

"I believe there is someone other than I who is collecting the Numbers," Astral said, appearing from the Emperor's Key. "If that is the case, he will surely come after us in due time."

"Ah, lighten up, Astral," Yuma said with a grin. "What if he wants to help us? Or maybe he'll just give the Numbers without any problem."

"I do not believe that to be likely," Astral couldn't help but say.

Yuma's attempt at lightening the mood was beautifully thrown out the window by a spirit with its arms folded.

Stupendous.

"You still worrying about that Number Hunter guy, Yuma?" Kotori asked, walking over to the desk with her backpack.

"Oh, hey, Kotori," Yuma greeted her. "I'm not. Astral is." He jerked a thumb towards the invisible spirit.

Kotori didn't really argue. She'd gotten used to it by now.

"So why is Astral still worried about the Number Hunter?" Kotori asked.

"He thinks that the Hunter is actually an enemy who'll come after us," Yuma explained. "We don't even know anything about him."

"Except that he turned a guy into an old man?" Kotori suggested.

"Okay, besides that."

Kotori then let out a sigh. "You know, if you're really that confused about this Hunter guy, I've got a friend who might be able to help."

"Really?" Yuma perked up at the sound of possible assistance.

Astral did likewise. Anything to give them a bit of an edge should they run into him.

Kotori smiled and produced the bag she got at the mall the previous day. "Yeah. I have to see him today, so you can ask then."

Yuma blinked.

Him?

* * *

Never, if Yuma lived to be 1000, would he understand the importance of the school newspaper. None of them wanted to duel him, so he hardly ever paid that much attention to them. Yet there he was, right in front of their office.

The words, "School Newspaper," were engraved in a plaque on the door.

Yuma had to turn to Kotori. "Your friend works on the newspaper?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kotori answered as if it shouldn't have been a surprise.

"Does he duel?"

"Actually, yeah."

That brightened Yuma's day.

Kotori then opened the door.

Two boys, both third years, were sitting at an empty desk, monster cards placed in front of them. The first boy – the one they saw immediately – had messy white hair and a pair of wide-rimmed glasses. The second one wasn't all that different, except his hair was grey and neatly combed, allowing two cat-ear shaped cowlicks to poke up without fear of being smothered, and the rims of his glasses were of a darker shade. "I sacrifice Sacred Wing – Unicorn and Sacred Wing – Healing Falcon," one of the boys said, "to summon Sacred Wing – Guardian Wolf."

The boy then threw his card down on the field, his teeth showing beneath a bright grin. "She attacks your _Faery Star – Mystic Scholar._"

The second boy fell back in his chair. "Lost again," he sighed.

"Your flaw was not putting that little guy in defense mode," the first said with a grin. "Otherwise, you would have lasted one turn longer. Might have even gotten your ace out."

The second boy started gathering up his deck. "It just hit me," he said. "Why is it you never use summon chants when we're dueling like this?"

"Where's the point?" the first answered, gathering up his own deck. "There's no flair, no holograms. It's like talking to your own reflection."

"I see," the second boy chuckled awkwardly.

"You've talked to your own reflection?" Yuma asked.

"You certainly have," Astral added.

The first boy looked to the door. "Oh. Hey, Kotori-san," he said.

Kotori raised her hand. "Hi, Sirius-kun," she said with a smile. "Dumon-kun."

Sirius smiled a little bit. "So, I'll see you tomorrow, Dumon," he said, turning his attention to the second boy.

"Will do," Dumon responded, walking past both Yuma and Kotori as he left the room.

Yuma looked back. "Who was that guy?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Dueling buddy," Sirius answered simply.

Yuma looked back to Sirius. Now that he was standing before them, his choice of clothing had been made obvious. Underneath the third-year shirt he had been required to wear for school, he was wearing a slim, white, long-sleeved, Chinese style shirt. His blue tie had been abandoned, allowing his top button to be left undone. This furthered notice of the shirt he was wearing underneath.

He then held his hand out, revealing light callouses on his palm. "I'm Sirius," he said. "Nice to meet you, Tsukumo."

"Uh, how did you know my name?" Yuma asked.

"Frankly, you see a kid running around, dressed as a bumblebee, you eventually learn his name, even if you don't want to."

Yuma chuckled awkwardly and shook Sirius' hand. So he hadn't lived that down yet? Great.

"Oh, Sirius-kun," Kotori suddenly exclaimed, digging her hand into her bag. "I got what you needed."

"Oh, really?" Sirius asked, a grin forming on his face.

"Yep." Kotori revealed the bag once again and handed it to Sirius.

"Thanks. That's the second time you've saved my hide."

"The second?" Yuma thought curiously.

Sirius then pulled the item out of the bag.

Then Yuma blinked. "A white cellphone?"

"Actually, it's a Duel Phone," Sirius explained. "I can contact D-Gazers with this, and monitor duels that are already in progress. Really great when you're not there to watch the duel or when you don't want to see who's on the other end of the conversation."

While that last bit sounded like an attempt at humor, Yuma couldn't help but feel he was serious.

"He bought it a few days ago," Kotori explained. "But because of work, he wouldn't be able to get it for a while. So I said I'd be able to get it for him."

"Yeah, thanks for that," Sirius said. "I owe ya one."

At the sound of that, Kotori stared at Yuma.

Apparently, Yuma didn't get what she was trying to silently convey. So she continued with, "Actually, Sirius-kun, there is something we need to ask you."

"Go ahead."

"Have you seen or heard of a Number Hunter?"

"Number Hunter? You mean like what that guy was talking about before they sent him to the hospital?"

Kotori and Yuma both gave a nod.

Then Sirius folded his arms, his fingers brushing against his chin. "I can't say I've seen or heard of anybody even remotely like that," he said. "I saw the reports that were shown on TV before that crook hit the deck though. There's no way he was as old as my grandpa when they cuffed him."

"That's what I was thinking," Yuma exclaimed.

"Well, sorry I can't help you," Sirius said, walking back to his desk so he could gather his backpack. "I really can't say that I know anything about a Number Hunter." He lifted his bag and hefted it over his shoulders. "But I'll keep my eyes open."

"Thanks, Sirius-kun," Kotori said.

"Yeah, thanks a bunch, Sirius," Yuma added.

Sirius gave a polite bow.

Then Kotori and Yuma left the office, with the latter sliding right into dueling mode almost immediately. "So, Kotori, do you want to go check out that new Duel Plaza with me this weekend?" he asked. "I've been dying to try it out."

Kotori chuckled. "You mean you've been dying to get your butt kicked again," she corrected him."

Yuma shook his head. "Nuh uh. I aim to Kattobingu!"

"Is he really that bad a duelist, Kotori-san?" Sirius asked, tugging on the straps of his backpack while an innocent look crossed his face. "I've been hearing rumors that he's too good to be defeated by mere children at a Dueling Plaza."

"When he's working with his Duel Ghost buddy, it's true," Kotori said. "But when he duels on his own, he loses almost all the time."

Yuma's face went slightly red. "No, I don't!" he exclaimed.

"Actually, Kotori is quite correct," Astral said.

Yuma turned a full ninety degrees to look his blue friend in the face. "That's not funny, Astral!" he said.

Kotori let out an awkward chuckle as her friend argued with his invisible ally.

Sirius then scratched his head. "Okay," he drawled. "I gotta hit the road. I'll call you if I learn anything about that Number Hunter of yours."

"Thanks, Sirius-kun," Kotori said, not even bothering to look the white-haired boy in the eye.

"Just be careful crossing the street at night and I'll take that as your thanks."

Kotori waved her friend off.

As Yuma was too busy arguing with Astral again, he didn't even notice when the boy left.

* * *

That weekend, Yuma and Kotori were on the train, Takashi, Flip, and Tetsuo sitting alongside them. The flurry of colors that passed them as they made their way to the neighboring city was most certainly improving their time on the train.

"So, Kotori," Yuma began. "How the heck do you know that reporter guy?"

"Sirius-kun?" Kotori asked.

Yuma nodded.

"Sirius-kun?" Takashi asked. "Which reporter is he?"

"You know him," Kotori answered. "The one who had to interview you for the school newspaper when you became Class Rep."

Tetsuo couldn't stop himself from laughing. "That guy!?" he asked. "I remember that interview. Until that day, I didn't think there was anybody who could race out of a classroom faster than Yuma could."

Yuma looked slightly red around the cheeks. "Only when Dueling Classes are coming up," he argued.

Flip adjusted his glasses, the light reflecting off the lenses.

"So, anyway, Kotori," Yuma said, looking his female friend in the eye, "how the heck do you know Sirius?"

"I met him at his work around the time we all started school," Kotori explained. "My grandma needed a heating pad, so I went to the convenience store to get a cheap one. Sirius-kun was the one stacking the items on the shelves. He helped me get what I needed. Then I bumped into him later, but he acted like he didn't even know me."

"According to some of the older students and teachers," Flip said, "he always does that. It's a way of keeping people at a distance."

"He probably just doesn't want people around him," Tetsuo suggested.

Kotori shrugged. "Mr. Kay said the same thing," she said. "So before I knew it, I was trying to be his friend." She raised a finger as she smiled at Yuma. "Getting his Duel Phone for him was actually the first thing he's ever asked me to do. Sounds like he's finally letting me in."

Yuma smiled.

Yep. Kotori had that way with people.

* * *

Much later that day, the rain began to pour over Heartland City. Sirius, who had been stocking shelves at the convenience store he was working at, opened the door and looked outside.

"Rain, huh?"

With a heavy sigh, Sirius removed the apron he was wearing and pulled it off over his head. "Great. I was hoping that the weather forecast was wrong today." He casually looked behind the counter.

A black umbrella was leaning against the wall. "Good thing Kotori-san's lectured me about bringing that thing with me to work."

He hung his apron on a hook and looked to the back of the store. "Hey, Boss," he called out. "I'm punching out now."

His boss did not respond, but Sirius had confidence that he'd been heard.

The door to the convenience store opened wide, allowing him to step outside and protect himself from the rain with his umbrella. "Guess I'll go home, get some dinner, then turn in," he thought to himself, sliding his hand into his pocket.

Right then, a silver motorcycle raced past him, the driver looking up at him for only a moment before practically gliding down the road.

Sirius had to blink.

"Was that who I think it was?"

* * *

"Didn't you think that was a great duel, Kotori?" Yuma asked with a grin.

"Yeah," Kotori responded. "Especially when you lost and got sent halfway down the field."

"No, I don't!" Yuma snapped. "And I didn't lose!"

"Then what did you call losing all your lifepoints?"

"Well, I don't know! But I didn't lose! I had that guy on the ropes!"

"Right up until he beat you."

"Who's side are you on?"

Their conversation could go no further, as the rain had begun to pour.

"Uh oh!" Yuma exclaimed. "We'd better get going!"

He lunged across the street, demanding that Kotori come as quickly as she could.

She tried, but this effort prevented her from heeding Sirius' warning.

The truck had started to make its turn.

And Kotori was in its way.

"Kotori!"

* * *

Yuma didn't remember racing forward. His body reacted before he himself could think. He gave Kotori a hefty shove, only realizing moments later that it was a self-sacrificing move.

He was in the way of the truck now.

He shut his eyes tightly and prepared for the impact.

Except it never came.

"Yuma?"

Yuma opened his eyes.

Nothing. He wasn't hurt. The truck had completely stopped.

Did the driver hit the brakes in time? Heck, could he have done that in time? He suddenly had the idea to poke his head into the car window to be certain.

However, once he looked towards Kotori, he had to get a new theory.

She was frozen in mid-air.

Upon further inspection, Yuma soon learned that it wasn't just Kotori. Even the rain had stopped.

In mid-air.

"Uh, what's going on?" Yuma asked.

"I do not know," Astral answered.

The sound of whistling began to deliver their answer.

And their troubles.

* * *

**D.T.B: WHOO! First chap! Yay me! XD**

**Now. I have a sneaking hunch that someone read this and had this reaction. [O.O Hey! This isn't what we discussed!] Well, please remember that Sirius is a workaholic and it shall be revealed in due time. **

**In the meantime, please review. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_The Number Hunter takes your Numbers._

_The Phantom Thief takes your Soul._

* * *

Kaito was far from hesitant as he made his way toward his latest prey. From what he was able to make out prior to having Orbital activate his vacuum space, it was just a kid.

Shame. Sounded pretty young too.

He finally stopped in his steps and looked forward. The raindrops were a bit of a pain to look through, so he forced them out with a single shout. Instantly, his latest target; a boy that looked like he'd stuck his finger in a light socket once; was drenched.

"Hey!" the kid shouted. "Why do you keep freezing everything?!"

Not the first time Kaito had been asked that question, but he didn't care. "Things aren't exactly frozen," he said, placing a hand on his belt. "It's just that time's moving one ten-thousandth of its normal speed."

If the kid got it, he certainly didn't show it. Not that he blamed him. There were times Kaito confused adults with that sort of speech. Namely Heartland, but who got surprised by that anymore?

"Th-That's right!" Orbital shouted, raising a metal arm above his head. "Witness the p-power of Orbital 7!"

Kaito revealed a grin. "Only those with Numbers can move around in this space," he said. "The fact that you can means that you've got what I'm looking for."

The kid growled; a futile attempt at looking tough. Kaito had seen it before. It hardly registered for him anymore.

So instead of pointing out how pathetic it was to actually try to look tough, Kaito continued with, "Now, we will duel for Numbers."

"Oh yeah? Who the heck are you anyway?"

Kaito had to fight off a dark chuckle. Seriously, couldn't this kid come up with something more original.

"People call me...the Number Hunter!"

That seemed to strike something of a nerve in his new opponent, but it also succeeded in knocking a screw loose. Five seconds after he said that, the kid looked over his own shoulder and started arguing with someone. "Huh?" went the Number Holder. "Run? What are you talking about?"

The word 'run' was all Kaito needed to leap into action.

Without wasting any time, he activated his Duel Anchor and snatched the boy's wrist. "This won't be coming off until this duel is over," he announced. "Now you can't escape this duel." He then jerked his arm back, throwing the boy off-balance.

After a second, the boy was back on his feet and readying his duel disk. He started saying something to some unseen figure or something, but Kaito no longer paid any attention.

He activated both his Photon Transformation as well as his duel disk. No sense in wasting time on useless prattle.

He needed that Number.

He needed it for Haruto.

* * *

Sirius had just succeeded in ducking behind one of the buildings when Kaito activated Orbital's vacuum sphere. "I knew it," he said to himself, his voice heavy as he regained his breath. "Tenjo, what are you up to now?"

He didn't speak loud enough to get attention, only enough to voice his apprehension. When looking at Kaito's back failed to get him much information, he chose to carefully look over his shoulder.

It didn't take him long to notice the frozen Kotori and the ready-to-duel Yuma.

"Kotori-san," he whispered, relieved that she was still alive. "Thank goodness you're alright."

Then he looked towards Yuma. "Tsukumo. So it's his turn, huh, Tenjo?"

The sound of growling reached his ear and a white wolf appeared by his side. Just as she looked up to him with her bright eyes, he placed his hand on her head and rubbed her ears. "I know, Guardian. But this isn't our duel." He narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized the field. "We'll just have to watch...and wait for results."

* * *

"I'll start the first turn!" Kaito declared. "I draw!"

He looked down at his card, then held it high over his head. "From my hand, I activate Photon Veil!"

A light shone from the card in question as its effect activated.

"First, I shuffle three Light monsters into my deck from my hand," Kaito explained, shuffling the cards into his deck without a second thought. "Then I get to add three Light monsters from my deck to my hand."

The three monsters were added with a flick of the wrist. Then Kaito pulled another card from his hand and slapped it onto his duel disk. "Next, I activate Photon Lead! This allows me to summon one level 4 or lower monster that's been added to my hand! So I bring out Daybreaker."

An armored soldier appeared on the field, a blade held in front of his helmet-covered face.

[Daybreaker. Lv. 4. 1700 ATK, 0 DEF]

"Wuh oh," went Yuma.

"Believe me," Kaito said, "this isn't enough to go 'wuh oh' about. Daybreaker's effect activates! When he's been special summoned, I get to bring out another Daybreaker from my hand."

The second soldier appeared, casually swinging his sword to the side.

"Then his effect activates, allowing me to summon a third Daybreaker!"

Then appeared the third Daybreaker.

Astral let out a small gasp. "They are all level four," he announced.

"They're- Uh oh!" went Yuma.

Kaito grinned. "Now, I overlay my three Daybreakers!"

With a polite bow, the monsters vanished into the overlay network, becoming twinkling stars as the galaxy within exploded.

"Now let the earth tremble beneath his hooves," Kaito chanted. "Rise! Number 10! Illumiknight!"

A mighty knight appeared on the field, a face strangely resembling a demon from the underworld. He appeared on a grand steed, swinging his sword to the side while his mount released a neigh that shattered the air. The number 10 was branded into the right shoulder of his silvery armor.

[Illumiknight. Rank 4. 2400 ATK, 2400 DEF]

"He's brought a Number out already?!" Yuma exclaimed, gripping his hair in surprise.

"And he does not seem to be infected by its power," Astral said in a whisper. "I wonder why that is..."

* * *

"So he's brought out the Number now?" Sirius asked, folding his arms across his chest. "He's going in for the kill this time."

The wolf gave a nod.

* * *

"I'm not done yet!" Kaito revealed, pulling another card from his hand. "I activate Illumiknight's ability! By discarding one overlay unit," Illumiknight cleaved his overlay unit in two; "and sending one card from my hand to the graveyard," Kaito threw his card into the grave; "I get to draw one card from my deck!"

He ripped the card from the top of his deck and placed it in his hand. Then he threw his hand forward, gritting his teeth as his turn went on. "Lightserpent's effect activates! When he's sent from my hand to the grave, he gets to appear on the field!"

A white-green snake dug its way out of the ground, hissing at Yuma and Astral.

[Lightserpent. Lv. 3. 1200 ATK, 800 DEF]

Yuma could only take a brief step back.

"Then I summon Plasma Ball!"

Kaito threw the card onto his deck; a simple Normal Summon when compared to everything else he had been doing since he started.

Contrary to his previous monsters, the one that appeared was simply an overly-decorated orb with an eye in the center.

[Plasma Ball. Lv. 3. 900 ATK, 900 DEF]

"Two level threes," Yuma observed.

Astral nodded.

"Now I overlay Lightserpent and Plasma Ball!"

Just as before, Kaito's monsters fell into the overlay network, sprinkling the field in lights when the preparations were complete.

"I Xyz Summon Number 20: Giga-Brilliant!"

The second Number then appeared, its buggy eyes staring Yuma down. Its identifying number was painted onto its right wing.

[Giga-Brilliant. Rank 3. 1800 ATK, 1800 DEF]

"What the heck!?" Yuma shouted. "Two Number monsters!? How did he manage that?!"

"Now the hunt truly begins," Kaito said, his grin growing wider. "I end my turn with that."

* * *

"If I hadn't seen him do this before," Sirius said, looking away from the duel, "I would have assumed he'd gone mad." He turned his gaze back to the duel. "Now what's Tsukumo gonna do?"

* * *

Yuma looked up at the two monsters and swallowed. "He summoned two Numbers on his first turn," he told himself. "Man! That was fast."

Shaking his head, Yuma drew his card and looked through his hand. The first monster to make an impression on him, of course, was Gogogo Golem. "Yeah," Yuma thought with a nod. "Gogogo Golem can take two attacks in one turn. He'll be perfect for this situation."

Yuma looked to Astral for only a minute before he returned to the duel. "I lay one monster facedown and end my turn," he announced, laying Golem on his duel disk.

"That's the best you can do?" Kaito asked. "Fine then. I draw!"

He pulled the card from his deck without bothering to look at it. "Now, I activate Illumiknight's ability! I sent one card," he sent his drawn card into the graveyard; "and one overlay unit to the graveyard," Illumiknight tore his overlay unit in half; "I get to draw one card."

Kaito drew the card from his deck, then grinned when he noticed the artwork.

"Next, I activate Giga-Brilliant's effect! By discarding an overlay unit, he gains a 300 attack point boost!"

The insect ate the overlay unit in question before mounting an attack. "Now, Giga-Brilliant! Take out his facedown!"

The monster flipped itself face up on the field and threw its rocky arms out to block the attack.

"When Gogogo Golem is in defense mode," Yuma revealed, "he can't be destroyed in battle once per turn!"

Kaito grinned at the sight. "Well what do you know?" he said. "It's been a while since my prey was willing to actually try to show some bite. But unfortunately for you, I still have one more attack left." He threw his hand forward. "Illumiknight, take down Gogogo Golem!"

The knight's steed leapt forward, Illumiknight's sword held gripped tightly in the monster's hand. In seconds, steel met stone and the Golem fell.

Yuma caught himself backing away. "There goes my only defense," he said fearfully.

"And there also went his only remaining attack," Astral added. "We are safe for now."

"Oh, right. Whew."

"I wouldn't 'whew' yet if I were you," Kaito said, raising the card he'd drawn earlier for them – or rather, for him – to see. "I don't have time to just have a fun duel with you, so I'm not going to hold back."

"Huh?"

Upon hearing the words, Sirius pushed himself away from the wall, shoulders tense. "Uh oh."

The wolf beside him gave a nod, eyes narrowed and teeth bared.

Kaito then raised his hand high. "I sacrifice Giga-Brilliant and Illumiknight!" he shouted. "Goodbye, you Numbers!"

The Numbers shattered and merged into a single entity.

A strange star.

"What's that thing?" Yuma asked. "And why did he sacrifice his Numbers?"

Astral couldn't say. He was too stunned when Kaito grasped at the star and threw it high above his head. "The galaxy that lurks in the darkness," he chanted. "Become the light of hope and my very servant. The embodiment of light, now descend! Appear now, my very soul!"

The star exploded and took on a new shape.

A dragon.

A bright blue dragon.

"Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!"

* * *

Yuma's jaw fell as the monster appeared on the field. "Galaxy-Eyes...," he began.

"Photon Dragon," Sirius completed, eyes wide and face pale.

Astral narrowed his eyes as the dragon stretched its fingers. "I know this monster," he thought to himself.

"I'll end my turn now," Kaito said, folding his arms. "Go ahead and make your move, kid."

"The name's Yuma Tsukumo!" Yuma argued, placing his fingers on his next card. "And I draw!"

He drew his card and turned it over.

He knew what he wanted. He wanted, nay needed, a level four monster. He needed to get Utopia out onto the field.

If he didn't, he'd be a goner.

So he was naturally very happy to see what he had drawn.

Kagetokage.

"Alright!" he mentally exclaimed. "When I summon a level four monster, I can special summon this guy right to the field!"

Placing his monster in his hand, Yuma then pulled another monster to replace it and threw it onto his duel disk. "Alright, I summon Gagaga Magician!"

The leather-armored magician appeared, his chains rattling all around him.

[Gagaga Magician. Lv. 4. 1500 ATK, 1000 DEF]

"Next, I special summon Kagetokage! When I have a level four monster, this lizard can join the party."

His second monster appeared, golden eyes jumping from the shadows.

Yuma then threw his hand to the side. "Now, I overlay Kagetokage and Gagaga Magician!"

The two monsters fell into the galaxy a moment later.

"XYZ SHOUKAN!"

The overlay network opened wide and the armored man appeared, his sword hanging from his belt.

"Arewarero! Number 39: Utopia!"

[Utopia. Rank 4. 2500 ATK, 2000 DEF]

"Half of me hoped the kid would just keep that thing in the Extra Deck," Sirius said. "Now that Kaito has seen it, he's not going to leave without it."

As if to prove this point, Kaito grinned. "Found it," he said under his breath.

"Yuma, we cannot afford to be hesitant in this battle," Astral said.

Yuma nodded. "I know." He pulled another card from his hand. "I'm gonna go all out. The best defense is a good offense!" He threw the card onto his duel disk and allowed it to glow with its power. "I activate the spell, Blustering Winds! This gives Utopia a power boost of 1000 attack points!"

A gust of wind blew past Utopia and circled around his sheathed weapon.

[Utopia – 2500 → 3500 ATK]

"Now he's Utopia the Dragon Slayer," Sirius observed. "How amusing."

"Go, Utopia!" Yuma commanded. "Attack Galaxy-Eyes with Rising Sun Slash!"

The warrior lunged forward, his sword held at the ready.

Kaito sighed. "How unfortunate," he said.

Yuma laughed. "Yeah. You can close your eyes if you're scared."

A moment's pause, then Kaito looked Yuma in the eye. "I meant unfortunate for you."

"Huh?"

Kaito's demonic grin appeared on his face once again and he raised his arm upward, his hand curling into a fist. "You underestimated my dragon's power! And now you will pay the price!"

In an instant, both dragon and warrior vanished from the field.

Yuma paled.

"What the- What happened to my monster!?"

"When Galaxy-Eyes battles a monster," Kaito explained, "it banishes both itself and it's opponent from the field." He casually threw his hands outward in a shrugging motion. "Now you have no monster. What are you gonna do now?"

Yuma bit his lip. "I end my turn," he said.

"Not that there was anything else Tsukumo could hope to do in this situation," Sirius silently added, his thumbnail caught between his teeth.

Kaito grinned. "Galaxy-Eyes' second effect activates," he declared. "At the end of the battle, both Galaxy-Eyes and the battling monster return to the field!"

The two monsters obeyed his command.

[Utopia – 3500 → 2500 ATK]

"Utopia!" Yuma exclaimed happily. "You weren't destroyed, after all!"

"I wouldn't get too cheerful if I were you," Kaito quickly added. "You see, if the monster Galaxy-Eyes banished was an Xyz monster, Galaxy-Eyes absorbs that monster's overlay units. And it gets an extra 500 attack points for each overlay unit!"

It was at that point that Yuma realized Utopia's overlay units had left him. "Aw man! I had two overlay units!"

"That's right," Kaito laughed. "So if you do the math, then you'll realize that Galaxy-Eyes gains 1000 attack points!"

[Galaxy-Eyes. 3000 → 4000 ATK]

Yuma swallowed. "That's not good."

"And it's about to get worse," Kaito said, drawing his card. "Go, Galaxy-Eyes! Attack Utopia with Burst Steam of Destruction!"

The blue dragon threw its head back, power glowing near and around its teeth. The blast of power erupted from its throat, burning into Utopia's armor and throwing him backwards.

"Even though only a Number can only be destroyed by another Number, you're still going to take damage!" Kaito revealed.

And it was true. Yuma raced his arm against the ground, gaining something of a road rash before finding his feet again.

[Yuma's LP – 4000 → 2500 LP]

"The attack isn't over yet!" Kaito continued. "I activate a quick-play spell card, Photon Wind! When I've attacked, but haven't destroyed the monster, you take an extra 1000 points of damage!"

Astral gasped. "He was counting on not destroying Utopia!" he shouted.

Yuma was thrown further into the concrete, gasping for breath.

[Yuma's LP – 2500 → 1500 LP]

"Photon Wind also allows me to draw one card," Kaito concluded, drawing and placing said card from his deck and into his duel disk. "I lay one card facedown and end my turn."

Yuma forced himself back up. "That was a rotten trick!" he snapped.

"Y-You're gonna lose for s-s-sure," Orbital stuttered. "And then your soul will go bye-bye!"

"Uh, my soul?" Yuma stammered out.

Sirius slapped his head in frustration. "Way to go, stutterbot," he snapped under his breath.

"You tin twit," Kaito snarled, jerking his head towards Orbital. "What the heck is the matter with you!?"

Orbital was smart enough to back away and apologize profusely.

Regardless, the phrase had been spoken.

"What did he mean!?" Yuma snapped. "What was that robot talking about!?"

Kaito's shoulders tensed. "Alright," he said. "Since it won't make a difference anyway, I'll tell you. The way I capture Numbers is a little bit...forceful." He chose his last word carefully. It helped himself feel just a tad bit better about what he was doing. "So forceful, in fact, that when I take their Number, their soul is stolen as well."

Yuma swallowed, though it was a very difficult task to complete. "Wh-What happens to their souls?"

"I don't know," Kaito admitted. "That's beyond my grasp." He then pointed at Yuma, the firmest of masks sliding onto his features. "Surrender now. That way, you won't have to suffer more than necessary."

Yuma forced himself to stand strong. "No way!" he declared. "I don't back down and I don't give up!"

Kaito had to blink to keep himself in reality. "Fine then," he said, a grin sliding onto his face. "Then I'll take your soul as well!"

Astral looked down to Yuma. The boy was trembling in his shoes, whether he wanted to admit to it or not. His hand shakily made its way to his deck and grabbed at his top card. "I," he began, his voice breaking at the realization of what may happen should he lose. "I dra-!"

"A good defense is a good offense," Astral repeated, knowing that those were the words Yuma needed the most at that point. "You said it yourself, Yuma."

"I know," Yuma argued. "But if I lose, you'll vanish!"

"You are in the same situation as I am," Astral pointed out. "We cannot afford to be frightened."

"So then...you're not scared or anything?"

Astral had to think about that. "I do not know," he admitted. "But regardless, we cannot turn away. We have already come much too far for such a strategy."

Yuma looked down at his Key and wrapped his fingers around it. "Yeah," he said. "You're right, Astral." He then revealed a bright grin as he gripped his cards once again. "Kattobingu da, ORE!" He pulled his card from his deck and turned it over.

Zubaba Knight.

"Perfect!" he exclaimed. "I summon Zubaba Knight!"

With a crackle of lightning and a clap of thunder, the bulky knight appeared on the field, swinging his swords as he prepared for battle.

[Zubaba Knight. Lv. 3. 1600 ATK, 900 DEF]

"Because I've summoned a level three monster, I can bring out Kagemusha Knight from my deck! So come join the party, Kagemusha!"

A shadowed version of Zubaba appeared beside him.

[Kagemusha. Lv. 3. 0 ATK, 0 DEF]

"Now, I'll overlay Kagemusha and Zubaba!"

With their disappearance came another beast.

"Xyz Shoukan! Arewarero! Number 17: Leviathan Dragon!"

All three sets of his wings spread outward as he released a mighty roar.

[Leviathan Dragon. Rank 3. 2000 ATK, 0 DEF]

"S-Second Number c-c-c-confirmed!" Orbital shouted, raising a clawed hand towards the monster.

"Okay, I didn't see that coming," Sirius said in surprise, his wolf nodding in agreement.

"A second Number," Kaito observed. "So you've hunted Numbers too."

Yuma, however, didn't pay any attention to what his opponent was saying. "I activate Leviathan Dragon's effect!" he declared. "By sending one overlay unit to the graveyard, he gets an extra 500 attack points!"

[Leviathan Dragon – 2000 → 2500 ATK]

"Now, I activate the spell card, Cross Attack! When I have two monsters that have the same attack points on the field, one stays put, but the other gets to attack you directly! And the monster that gets to attack you directly is Leviathan Dragon!"

The dragon swam through the air as it prepared itself to attack. Kaito suddenly grew noticeably pale for a split second.

"With this move, you will have taken a large portion of his life points," Astral said. "This duel has not yet reached its end!"

"You bet it hasn't, Astral!" Yuma exclaimed.

Kaito allowed a grin to tug at the corner of his mouth. "Oh, has it?" he asked, activating his facedown in an instant. "I activate Lumenize!"

The card flipped face up and dazzled brilliantly. Both Yuma and Sirius had to look away. Kaito had grown used to it, while Astral was too surprised to do anything.

"When you attack my Light monster, this card stops your attack and gives my monster a power boost. The same attack points as your own monster, in point of fact."

[Galaxy-Eyes – 4000 → 6500 ATK]

Galaxy-Eyes' scales glowed with the light of Lumenize as it released a powerful roar that tore through the air.

"Now what are we gonna do?" Yuma asked worriedly. "If Galaxy-Eyes attacks, it won't make a difference. We're toast."

"Not quite," Astral said. "Place that card in your hand facedown."

Yuma looked at the one card he held that Astral might have been talking about.

Mirror Mail.

"If you activate that card, your monster's attack points will become equal to Galaxy-Eyes," Astral explained.

Yuma got the rest quickly enough.

"That's right," he breathed. "And a Number can only be destroyed by a Number, so Galaxy-Eyes would be out and I'd be free to attack."

"Exactly. It is our only hope of escape."

Yuma nodded. "I set one card facedown and end my turn."

Sirius forced himself just a tad bit further away from his hiding place. "I hope that kid's got a plan," he said in a whisper. "Otherwise, he's toast."

The wolf nodded in understanding.

"That brings it back to me then," Kaito said. "I draw."

He examined his card for a time, all the while remaining perfectly silent.

Sirius swallowed, a sense of anxiety building up inside.

Yuma gripped his cards all the tighter.

Astral narrowed his eyes. "Attack us," he mentally commanded.

Kaito grinned. "Now, I summon Photon Cerberus," he said, throwing his card onto his disk.

The three-headed beast appeared on the field, barking and howling beside Galaxy-Eyes' foot.

"And when he's been let off of his leash," Kaito explained, "your facedowns get put on it. Hope you didn't have much of a strategy with that card, because it's not gonna save you."

Immediately, chains wrapped themselves around Mirror Mail. For a brief instant, Yuma couldn't help but feel like they were squeezing the life out of the card.

Astral trembled in terror as reality creeped up on him. "He knew?" he thought in disbelief. "Has this boy's dueling skills...surpassed even my own?"

Pale and terrified, Yuma forced himself to look up to Astral. "I-Is there anything else we can do?!" he asked. He needed something. Anything. Even the dumbest move didn't sound so dumb at that point.

But Astral's words were far from reassuring. "I am afraid there is not," he said, his voice breaking. "Farewell."

"Now, go, Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!" Kaito declared. "Photon Stream of-"

At that moment, everything froze.

An image of a young child revealed itself from Orbital's larger eye. The boy was sweating, panting, and was clearly in terrible pain. The expression; the horrible, twisted expression; said it all.

"Haruto!" Kaito exclaimed.

Sirius gasped, clapping his hand over his mouth to prevent him from being heard. "H-Haruto-kun," he mentally exclaimed. "No."

"This duel's over!" Kaito shouted, releasing his red energy rope from Yuma's wrist. Then he looked back to Orbital, his face growing a new shade of pale. "Come on, Orbital! We've gotta go!"

Orbital offered no objections. Without wasting a beat, he transformed into a large motorcycle, a helmet waiting for Kaito to wear. "My name is Kaito Tenjo!" the duelist announced, placing the helmet on his head. "Don't ever forget it, Yuma Tsukumo!"

Yuma didn't think he could if he wanted to.

As soon as Kaito vanished from sight, time restored itself.

The rain began to fall again not long after.

* * *

Kotori hit the asphalt in complete terror. With trembling hands, she looked herself over.

No broken limbs. No blood.

She was fine. How did that happen?

It took her only a second to remember.

Yuma! Yuma saved her! He pushed her out of the way!

"Yuma!" she exclaimed, getting back onto her feet. "Yuma, are you okay!?"

Yuma, who hardly noticed her presence, didn't answer her. "I couldn't...lay a finger on him," he said, falling down to his knees. "That...wasn't Kattobingu. And I'm...I'm no Duel Champion."

"Yuma?" Kotori asked uneasily.

The boy refused to acknowledge her presence. Instead, he threw his head back and shouted in frustration.

Sirius, meanwhile, leaned against the wall and looked towards the young Heartland Academy students. "They're okay," he thought to himself. "Thank goodness for that, at least."

With a heavy sigh, he looked up, his face immediately being pelted by the falling rain. "Rain...," he breathed. "Falling, falling, heavy rain." He lowered his head back down to his hands. The wolf had disappeared. It was just him now. "Falling, falling, once again..."

* * *

**D.T.B: I'm sure you noticed by now, but I followed the manga version of the duel quite a bit. The summoning sequences made more sense to me. Please leave a review and I'll see you later. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_When one loses the will to walk on his own_

_He must first find the strength to take someone's hand._

* * *

Yuma didn't sleep after that duel. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw just how close both he and Astral had come to losing everything.

The duel.

Their Numbers.

Yuma's soul.

Astral's existence.

Everything would have exploded in their faces had that image of the kid not appeared when it did.

Who was that kid anyway? Yuma only managed to get part of the name before Kaito left on his Robo-Cycle.

"Ha."

Not enough to give even Yuma a worthy guess.

All it succeeded in doing was pull Yuma back to the true victor of that duel.

Kaito.

The thoughts were to continue in a cycle.

He couldn't sleep a wink.

And neither could Astral.

* * *

"Kaito, you have to get some sleep."

The Number Hunter looked from his seat near Haruto's bed. A young woman was standing before him, dressed for a meeting of master duelists. Most of her short black hair was kept tucked behind her ears, with only her light purple bangs shielding her face. Back straight and face cold, not even Kaito could fully comprehend whatever it was she was thinking about.

He would never admit to it, as it was not in his nature to pay anyone beside his brother something as frivolous as a compliment, but he was extremely grateful that she was rather blunt.

"You won't be able to protect Haruto if you're near fainting," she said.

Kaito looked back to Haruto. "I'm not moving," he answered. "You can tell Heartland that."

"I will," she replied bluntly.

Kaito's fingers brushed across his brother's bangs. Haruto's temperature had gone down and his sleep became peaceful. Or, at the very least, as peaceful as it was going to get for someone in his situation.

"Don't worry, Haruto," he thought. "I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

The sky was clear the following morning, but Yuma barely noticed the pleasant warmth. Try as they might, though admittedly they didn't put in much effort, neither Yuma nor Astral could simply forget the duel. In fact, it was all they could think about.

Apparently, it had become rather obvious around the afternoon. Yuma had left the school to get some fresh air while sitting on a park bench. Astral was floating over his right shoulder, lost in his thoughts.

"We didn't even put up a fight," Yuma sighed, lowering his head further until his chin touched his tie. "Talk about lousy."

"Had he not suspended the duel, then it would have surely ended in our defeat," Astral said, agreeing with Yuma's words.

Then he proceeded to mentally add, "And I would have vanished."

"Plus that crazy monster of his showed up out of nowhere," Yuma added. "Where the heck did something like that even come from?"

Yuma looked up to Astral, who didn't even bother to turn his head.

Then both duelists sighed in resignation.

"Yuma?"

He raised his head.

His friends were all standing in front of him, from Flip to Cathy. Each one had their eyes locked on him, complete with matching frowns.

"What are you doing out here, Yuma?" Tetsuo asked firmly.

"Don't say 'brooding,'" Kotori said. "It isn't like you at all."

Yuma paused, then got up from his seat. It looked as if he was about to crack a smile for his friends, but it faded away and his head fell lower than his shoulders.

"Yuma?"

"Sorry, guys...but could you...leave me alone for a while?" Yuma asked.

He then proceeded to walk away before they could speak up against him, his hands tucked away in his pockets.

Takashi blinked, then cupped his hands against his face. "Yuma! What's the matter!?" he asked. "In the end, if you tell us what's wrong, we can help you!"

Yuma didn't even turn around. He simply kept on walking.

"He's been really out of it today," Tetsuo reported, face twisted into a look of inquisitiveness . "He even ignored the pool and the vault."

"Maybe he's sick or something?" Flip suggested.

Tetsuo shrugged while Kotori looked on at Yuma's fading back in concern. "Or maybe," she began, "it's because he met the Number Hunter."

"Number Hunter?" Tetsuo asked. "Who the heck is that?"

"A hamburger hunter?" Cathy wondered aloud.

"Number," Takashi corrected her.

Kotori looked up to Tetsuo, her worry for Yuma remaining strong. "A guy who's been showing up and stealing Numbers from people," she explained. "Yuma said he dueled him just yesterday."

"Did he lose!?"

"No. Maybe. I don't know. Yuma didn't explain it. I just remember walking across the street when a truck almost hit me."

"A truck!?" Flip exclaimed, his glasses nearly flying off of his face in surprise.

Kotori nodded.

"How'd it miss you?" Tetsuo asked.

"I don't know," Kotori responded. "I think Yuma pushed me out of the way, but the next thing I knew, I was okay, the car was driving past me, and Yuma was out of it."

"What?"

That was not a voice that belonged to the group.

That was Sirius, who had just stepped out of the school building and couldn't help overhear their conversation. His face had very nearly adopted a frightened pale, his fingers gripping the straps of his backpack tightly. "What did you just say, Kotori-san?" he asked.

"Sirius-kun," Kotori began.

"The dog-lover!" Cathy exclaimed, pointing an accusative finger at the white-haired man.

"The what?" Tetsuo asked.

Sirius stared. "Uh, actually, that's a common misconception," he said. "Pleasure to meet you, by the way, Miss Katherine."

Cathy only put her hands up in a manner akin to cats.

"Anyway, did I hear you correctly, Kotori-san?" Sirius asked. "Did you really almost get hit?"

Kotori brushed her hand against the back of her head, then nodded.

Sirius raced his hand through his hair. "I won't ask for details." _Seeing as how I saw the actual duel_. "I'm just relieved that you're alright."

"Thanks."

Tetsuo folded his arms over his bulky body while Sirius followed their previous line of sight. "So where's Tsukumo? He's usually with your little group, isn't he?"

"He just left," Flip said.

"Oh?"

"He dueled the Number Hunter," Takashi explained. "He almost lost."

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "He did?" he wondered aloud.

"Yeah," Flip said.

"It's really got him down," Kotori added.

"I think I noticed that when I failed to hear the loud splash in the gym from the office this afternoon," Sirius said sarcastically, realizing only a second later what had just come out of his mouth. "Eh, I mean, maybe he just needs some time to clear his head. Friends are important, but space is too."

They didn't really believe him. He could tell and he didn't blame them one bit. "I should have worded that better, huh?"

"Maybe a bit," Tetsuo said.

Flip nodded, adjusting his glasses all the while.

* * *

Come the end of the school day, Yuma went straight home. He hadn't the want to duel and he couldn't bring himself to face his friends quite yet. So instead, he had chosen to ignore everybody altogether and make way for his hammock in the attic.

Upon entering his home, both his sister as well as his grandmother noted just how early he had come back. Not all that great a surprise, he supposed. He was usually dueling around that time of day.

"What's the matter, Yuma?" Akari asked. "Something on your mind?"

"Yeah," Yuma began, his voice scarcely higher than a whisper. Then, before either woman could speak up, he forced a smile to his face and looked to them both. "I gotta go handle my homework."

He was up the stairs before Akari's face hit the table.

"Yuma!? Homework!?" he heard her exclaim. "Since when did those two fit in the same sentence!?"

Again, not that great a surprise. Unless it included Dueling, Yuma seldom felt eager to work.

He still wasn't eager, and he was not ready to do his homework. He just needed some time to himself. That is, if his sister didn't suddenly recover from her freak out and demand an explanation from him.

Boy, did he hope that didn't happen. He wasn't ready to explain that to her. "Oh, it's no big deal, sis. I was just dueling, like you told me I wasn't supposed to, and almost lost my soul to a guy who wanted my Numbers."

Yeah, nothing too serious. Just enough to ground him for life.

With a heavy huff, Yuma allowed himself to fall not into his hammock, but his bed. He didn't feel the want to climb up the ladder to the attic. So instead, he fell into the unfamiliar mattress and remained still.

Again, the duel flashed through his mind.

Again, he recalled just how badly he was almost defeated.

And again, he remembered how close the both of them were to complete oblivion.

"That was a bad duel," he mumbled to himself.

Not even Astral could hear those words.

* * *

"Is Yuma going to come down for dinner?" Akari asked, setting the table as the meal neared completion.

"He looked like he needed some time to himself," Granny Haru replied, removing the food from the stove. "When he's ready, he'll come down."

Akari shrugged. "If you say so."

"I say so."

Just then, the phone beeped to life in the living room. "Oh," went Granny Haru. "I wonder who that could be."

"I'll go get it," Akari said, sliding into the living room and taking the phone from it's cradle, where it had been hidden in the wall. As soon as the phone was silent, she proceeded to place it against her ear. "Hello. Tsukumo residence."

She was silent for a time, then pulled it away from her ear and held it up to her grandmother. "Granny. It's for you."

"Oh? Who is it?"

"He won't say and I don't recognize him through his grating voice. It's like he's got a cold."

Suddenly, Granny had a faint idea as to who the caller might be. Slowly, she walked over to her daughter's side and took the phone into her withered hand. "Why don't you be a dear and try to get your brother down for dinner?" she suggested. "He may be ready to eat."

Akari shrugged again. "Okay."

Then she started up the stairs, leaving her grandmother alone with whomever was calling.

"Hello, this is Granny Haru. How may I help you?"

* * *

The next morning, Kotori chose to visit Yuma, duel disk in hand. Thanks to the kids at school the previous days, she found something that she just knew Yuma couldn't pass up.

She entered the Tsukumo household in the most polite manner she was capable of so early in the morning, then proceeded right up to Yuma's room.

He was sleeping. Why should she have been surprised?

Maybe it was because he was in his bed rather than his hammock. Just a thought.

"Yuma," she began. "Yuma, wake up."

No response.

"Yuma."

No response again.

Kotori puffed her cheeks in slight frustration. Setting her duel disk on the desk, she then proceeded to rip Yuma's blankets off. "Yuma! Wake up already!"

He was up in a minute.

"Eh? Kotori?!" he stammered out as he fell out of bed. "Ow..."

"You awake now, Yuma?" Kotori asked, looking down at her friend.

Yuma nodded.

"Good. Now get up. I gotta show you something."

"What is it?" Yuma asked, slowly getting back onto his feet so he could sit down in bed.

Kotori revealed a bright smile as she retrieved her duel disk. "The kids at school were talking about it yesterday," she said, turning the disk on and selecting the video that students had shown her. Once it glowed with all those bright lights akin to Heartland, her smile increased ten fold. Then she handed the disk to Yuma. "Here. Read it."

Yuma took the duel disk and looked it over.

Written in ruby red letters with a heart over the second letter, was the abbreviation, "WDC." The words "World Duel Carnival" were written over the heart. "A Dueling Tournament?" Yuma asked.

Kotori nodded. "Isn't it great, Yuma?" she asked. "Lots of great duelists are guaranteed to show up for something like this."

Yuma's face fell. "And Kaito... He might be there too."

The look of terror on his face was not to be disguised.

"Yuma," Kotori began uneasily. "You want to enjoy a tournament like this, don't you?"

Frankly, Yuma could give no proper answer.

"Kotori-chan," Granny Haru suddenly said from the stairs. "Is Yuma awake yet?"

"Yes, Granny Haru," Kotori responded.

"Good."

Granny Haru then appeared in the room, her affectionate smile remaining as strong as before. "Yuma, be a dear and do your grandmother a favor, will you?"

"A favor?" Yuma asked.

She nodded, then revealed a large backpack completely stuffed with food. "Will you go take this to a friend of mine who lives outside of town? He can't make it to the shopping center today, you see."

Kotori blinked in surprise while Yuma suddenly regained his ability to complain. "What?" he exclaimed. "Where the heck does this guy live?"

"I'll write you up a map," Granny Haru said, her smile staying firmly on her face. "Would you do me this favor, my dear sweet grandson?"

"Sounds like fun, Yuma," Kotori said cheerfully.

Yuma, however, had a completely different opinion.

"But it's the weekend, Granny."

"Yuma, please deliver this," Granny Haru said. Her smile remained, but her tone was suddenly much firmer.

Guess who suddenly caved?

* * *

"_So, he's on his way to __**his**__ place, huh?_"

Granny Haru nodded, her face reflecting on the screen of her D-Gazer. "Yes, he is," she said. "Thank you so much for your concern, Sirius-kun."

"_No sweat, Haru-san. If anybody can snap Tsukumo out of his slump, __**he**__ can._"

"I'm sure he can."

* * *

Granny Haru's smile was contagious, Sirius discovered rather quickly.

"Hey, Sirius-kun! Get your rear in gear!"

The smile faded instantly. Sirius' D-Gazer nearly fell from his hand. The only thing stopping him was the fact that he would leave a very bad impression on one of two old ladies he simply didn't want to anger.

"_I'm sorry, Sirius-kun. Are you working?_" Granny Haru asked.

"Sort of," Sirius answered with a sigh. "It's for the school paper. Unfortunately, my convenience store job doesn't start until this afternoon."

"_What's unfortunate about that?"_

"Hello, Heartland City!" Mr. Heartland exclaimed, appearing before the group of reporters. "Looks like the World Duel Carnival has already stirred up quite a crowd!"

"I'd explain it, but I'm not sure you'd believe me," Sirius huffed. "I'm sorry, Haru-san, but I've gotta hang up now."

"_Very well, Sirius-kun. Have a good time._"

With that, the D-Gazer fell asleep. Then Sirius groaned and put his gazer in his back pocket. "Sure," he said. "When human grow wings."

"Sirius-kun! Come on! We'll miss the interview!"

Sirius rubbed his face. "Perhaps, in the future, someone can explain to me why on Earth we let Yata-Garasu onto the school newspaper," he grumbled, following after the man who shouted at him.

* * *

Yuma slowly advanced up the hundreds of steps that led up to whoever it was he was supposed to meet, all the while hauling an extremely heavy backpack. Kotori was several steps behind him, fully prepared to help him if he needed it – and if necessary, jump out of the way when he comes tumbling down. On the backpack, though Kotori couldn't see him, was the moping Astral, thinking about nothing but that one-sided duel once again.

"I hope you're comfortable up there," Yuma huffed.

Kotori could only guess that he was referring to Astral. She certainly knew that he wasn't talking to her.

Yuma grumbled for a while longer, but otherwise remained silent.

So Astral wasn't talking? Okay, Kotori wasn't all that surprised. It didn't seem like the two of them had been on talking terms for quite a while.

Whatever the problem was, she certainly hoped that they fixed it soon. There was no way Yuma could be a proper duelist if he was always looking down to his feet.

* * *

The sun was coming down by the time the middle school students finally made it to the top. By that time, the backpack had only succeeded in growing heavier, leaving Yuma to topple to the ground, said backpack crushing his ribcage against the thick tiles that lined the walkway. "You okay, Yuma?" Kotori asked, trying to make out the one that was buried beneath the thick red fabric.

"Fine," Yuma mumbled, getting back on to his knees.

Astral didn't bother to make some sarcastic comment. He was still too lost in thought, choosing to absentmindedly float over Yuma's head.

The boy in question, however, noticed pretty quickly and began to look up.

He stopped immediately when he caught sight of that single dojo. "We made it!" he exclaimed, suddenly full of energy to burn once more.

While Yuma jumped to his feet, backpack still tight on his shoulders, Kotori allowed herself a moment to catch her breath.

Next thing she knew, Yuma let out a rather frightening scream.

"Y-Yuma!" Kotori screeched, getting to her feet and racing into the dojo.

"Help! A monkey! There's a monkey on my back!"

Kotori stopped in the doorway of the dojo.

Yuma was pinned down beneath the backpack by someone who had jumped on his back.

However, it was certainly no monkey.

It was an old man.

* * *

**D.T.B: This chapter was a mix of the manga and the actual anime episode and Tetsuo was NOT with Yuma and Kotori when they arrived. Will he appear next chapter? Probably, probably not. Wait and see? In the meantime, the first chapter has undergone a rewrite. Might be a good idea to give it a check when you have a chance.**


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